One Distinguishing Catholic Symbol - The Crucifix

Simply stated, the cross is a post with a crossbar looking a lot like the letter “T” while the crucifix is a cross which contains the body of Christ attached to it.  I understand that there are a very few Protestant denominations that still display the crucifix but by and large it is a Catholic Symbol.

Now there are some who say that the crucifix depicts a false teaching of Christ dying over and over again in the Catholic mass.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The crucifix is simply a symbol, albeit a powerful one.  It is a reminder of Christ’s suffering for our sins much like a picture of your family on your office desk reminds you of them.  Or the picture of my deceased grandmother on my refrigerator reminds me of many great memories of her.

Symbols were used as a way to teach during the early days of the Church.  Keep in mind that there were no printing presses for mass production of Bibles and many of the peoples being instructed were illiterate.

Actually, there is little evidence of the cross being used in Christian art until roughly the 4th century.  It was not until the 5th century that the church added the body of Christ as a reminder of his suffering and death for our sins.  That was well before the Reformation when Protestant reformers abandoned all things Catholic including the crucifix AND the cross.  Of course, the cross was later added back to many Protestant churches and today the cross vs. crucifix issue is simply to distinguish between Catholic and Protestant.

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